Can a Zero Turn mow high weeds in a bumpy pasture?

[RadarTech]

If it is that rough and painful, why not use a pulverizer or similar and smooth it? If it’s beating you, how bad is it on the equipment?

 

[plowhog]

If it is that rough and painful, why not use a pulverizer or similar and smooth it?

It is a time issue. I am the only one maintaining nearly 100 acres so there is always something urgent elsewhere.

It was planted with some sort of grass/plant about 60 years ago. The pasture is pretty uniform in growth, except a draw where a lot of water comes through. It first comes in beautiful green, grows rapidly, then dies off to brown as the season wears on. I don't irrigate except for a strip near the pond.

I was also concerned that doing too much smoothing in summer or fall might chew up the land leading to patches of weeds.

 

[RadarTech]

It is a time issue. I am the only one maintaining nearly 100 acres so there is always something urgent elsewhere.

It was planted with some sort of grass/plant about 60 years ago. The pasture is pretty uniform in growth, except a draw where a lot of water comes through. It first comes in beautiful green, grows rapidly, then dies off to brown as the season wears on. I don't irrigate except for a strip near the pond.

I was also concerned that doing too much smoothing in summer or fall might chew up the land leading to patches of weeds.

Maybe identify the worst parts and do them and just little each spring and fall…

 

[plowhog]

Maybe identify the worst parts and do them and just little each spring and fall…

That is a really good plan.

I installed a 6" buried irrigation line across this pasture years ago, and it has "sunk in" where the pipe was run. Crossing that one section alone causes a lot of jolts. So I can start with dressing that up.

 

[crreed67]

If you're only cutting this 2 or even 4 times a year you could get a lot of years paying someone to do it for you for $38,000. And you wouldn't have to worry about finding time to do it. Just say $500 a time at 4 times a year and that covers 19 years........

 

[oosik]

I have a large "country lawn" near the house. It's a meadow of field grass that's been mowed for many years and, actually, looks pretty good.

It does have its humps and bumps. I've learned - just go slow on those spots and it won't hurt so much. I mow it with my JD 570. After a two hour session it feels like I've been riding a wild weasel.

 

[Hay Dude]

Its purring like a kitten in our shop. I still haven't had to add def fluid, that's how little I drive it, hope it doesn't get old in the tank.
However The service antilock brake system light has been flashing on and off....

There should e a recall on those, I hear a lot of them are failing.

It does go bad if exposed to air. I would purchase a small harbor freight type of suction pump and pull it out and fill with fresh fluid if its really old.

 

[5030]

Just bought a full 350 gallon IBC tote of expired DEF and it's sitting in the big barn waiting for me to spray it on my alfalfa along with a measured shot of 2-4-D B which is buffered 2-4-D and won't kill vernal alfalfa. It ain't cheap but today, what is? I had a heck of a time unloading the full IBC tote of DEF. I didn't realize a full tote weighs 2800 pounds. That saves me buying 2.5 gallon jugs of the stuff when on sale though the 2.5 gallon containers make dandy use oil containers among other things.

HF has their battery powered transfer pumps on sale presently. I keep a couple in the shop all the time. Very handy, especially when using rechargeable Li-Ion D cells.

far as mowing high grass in a bumpy pasture plot, you can do about anything with anything so long as your kidneys can take the abuse...lol I use my Landpride bat wing shredder for that chore.

 

[5030]

If you're only cutting this 2 or even 4 times a year you could get a lot of years paying someone to do it for you for $38,000. And you wouldn't have to worry about finding time to do it. Just say $500 a time at 4 times a year and that covers 19 years........

One thing that don't concern me is equipment cost because it's all a business write off anyway. I don't even consider finance rates when buying equipment either because that is an offset as well. Why I never buy used stuff. Used hay tools are just that, used and mostly abused and I don't want to buy someone else's issues.

 

[plowhog]

If you're only cutting this 2 or even 4 times a year you could get a lot of years paying someone to do it for you for $38,000.

Your use of common sense is getting in the way of me wanting to have a new piece of equipment!!!!

Good post ....

 

[plowhog]

One thing that don't concern me is equipment cost because it's all a business write off anyway.

I cannot deduct the cost of equipment, but I do believe purchasing such items is a good investment in these times. Some would throw tomatoes at me for saying that, but every piece of equipment (except for a brand new cab tractor) is now worth more than what I paid for it. And the cab tractor might be close to original price.

I lived through the Carter "stagflation" years of the 80's, which is sort of similar to today. I don't want to touch off a political debate, but I have no problem trading "declining value greenbacks" for equipment that is only getting progressively more expensive.

But -- a $38k diesel mower might blow a hole through all of this ...

 

[WM75Guy]

Your use of common sense is getting in the way of me wanting to have a new piece of equipment!!!!

Good post ....

Go for it, enjoy it while you can. Whether it is money or equipment, you can't take it with you. I have never seen a loaded hearse headed for the cemetery pulling a U-Haul.

 

[arto98607]

The only mower that will do 5 ft weeds is a brush cutter / brush hog and it will not look like a lawn afterwards. I've never had the chance to try out a 48hp Ferris but that's gotta be an awesome machine. But I don't think it'll cut 5 ft high weeds. What does the dealer say about it ? He might know what the capability is.

Brush hog will work in tall grass & weeds, however in my experience flail mower works also good - I think little better, but requires little more maintenance!

I have a John Deere 413 brush hog and 5' Ford 917L Special with side slicer flails.

Have not used the brush hog hardly any since I got the flail mower.

 

[plowhog]

Brush hog will work in tall grass & weeds, however in my experience flail mower works also good - I think little better,

What do you like about the flail vs brush hog?

btw my brush hog is at max limits for my tractor-- 8ft connected to 44hp at the pto. Between the tractor tires and the trailing wheels on the brush hog there are certainly a lot of bumps.

I considered a flail mower some time ago with an articulating side arm so I could also mow the edge of the bank at the pond ...

 

[CloverKnollFarms]

Flails chop the biomass finer, leaving a neater cut IMHO

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Once you do it once, you can keep it mowed down with a ZT. I mow my VA lot, about 3 acres of grass with my ZT. It was a hay field previously, now it looks like a park. I mow it once a month, takes about 2 hrs.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Go for it, enjoy it while you can. Whether it is money or equipment, you can't take it with you. I have never seen a loaded hearse headed for the cemetery pulling a U-Haul.

 

[arto98607]

What do you like about the flail vs brush hog?

btw my brush hog is at max limits for my tractor-- 8ft connected to 44hp at the pto. Between the tractor tires and the trailing wheels on the brush hog there are certainly a lot of bumps.

I considered a flail mower some time ago with an articulating side arm so I could also mow the edge of the bank at the pond ...

• No scalping at all when set up right. Uneven forested area is a prime example.
• Chops the tall pasture or field grass finer leaving a nicer look
• Uses less power - comparing 48" JD 413 vs. 60" Ford 917L (side slicer flails).
• Can mow given area faster due to width difference.
• Takes less space to store.

My Ford 1310 tractor has 1L 19 hp engine (12 speed manual transmission) so it's pretty easy to notice the difference in power usage.

 

[JethroB]

• No scalping at all when set up right. Uneven forested area is a prime example.
• Chops the tall pasture or field grass finer leaving a nicer look
• Uses less power - comparing 48" JD 413 vs. 60" Ford 917L (side slicer flails).
• Can mow given area faster due to width difference.
• Takes less space to store.

My Ford 1310 tractor has 1L 19 hp engine (12 speed manual transmission) so it's pretty easy to notice the difference in power usage.

^^^ . I’ll add that I find it’s less ‘jolting’ on me than my bush hog. It rides gracefully on the 6’ wide rear roller close in vs. a small tail wheel dipping into holes & flipping around on turns.

 

[scootr]

The flail mower roller smooths out the gopher mounds nicely